The present invention relates to shrouding apparatus for oxygen-free continuous casting apparatus.
It is a long-recognized practice to shroud or surround the stream of molten metal with an inert gas between the tundish and underlying mold in order to eliminate the contamination of the streaming molten metal.
Examples of present day shrouding arrangements for continuous casting apparatus are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,439,735; 3,482,621; 3,616,843; 3,756,305 and 3,766,961.
Most present day tundish-to-mold shrouding arrangements are overly complex in structure, are constructed such that the argon gas hoses must be moved with the shroud when it is swung out of the way, require the mold to be reciprocated or lowered before the shrouding arrangement can be inserted or removed laterally from between the tundish and mold, and provide no means for quickly connecting and disconnecting the shroud from the launder.